List of Ottoman governors of Egypt facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Ottoman Empire's governors of Egypt were important leaders who managed Egypt for the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1805. These governors had different names like beylerbey, viceroy, governor, or wāli. They lived and worked from the Cairo Citadel in Cairo.

The Ottoman sultans, who were the main rulers, often changed governors quickly. This sometimes caused problems, like in 1623, when local soldiers insisted on keeping Kara Mustafa Pasha as governor, even after he was replaced.

Governors worked with a special council called a divan. This council included a kadı (a judge) and a defterdar (a treasurer). The title "beylerbey" was for regular governors chosen by the Ottoman sultan. The title "kaymakam" was for a temporary governor who took charge between the time one governor left and the next one arrived. Many governors had a kaymakam because of the long travel distances, but only the most important temporary governors are usually mentioned in historical records.

This list shows the Ottoman governors of Egypt from 1517, when the Ottomans took control of Egypt, until 1805. After 1805, the rulers of Egypt, like the Muhammad Ali dynasty, were still officially Ottoman governors, but they started using the title "Khedive" and passed their role down in their families.

No.	Governor		Start	End	Title	Tenure notes
1	Yunus Pasha		1517	1517	Beylerbey	His time as governor ended early.
2	Hayır Bey	No picture available	1517	1522	Beylerbey	Died while in office.
3	Çoban Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1522	1523	Beylerbey	Helped stop a small Mamluk uprising.
4	Hain Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1523	1524	Sultan	He tried to become the ruler himself, but his time in power ended.
5	Güzelce Kasım Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1524	1525	Beylerbey
6	Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha		1525	1525	Beylerbey	He stayed for 3 months and helped organize the government and military in Ottoman Egypt.
7	Güzelce Kasım Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1525	1525	Beylerbey
8	Hadım Süleyman Pasha (1st)		1525	1535	Beylerbey
9	Divane Hüsrev Pasha	No picture available	1535	1537	Beylerbey
10	Hadım Süleyman Pasha (2nd)		1537	1538	Beylerbey
11	Davud Pasha	No picture available	1538	1549	Beylerbey	He had a long-standing disagreement with Rüstem Pasha; he died in office.
–	Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha		1549	1549	Kaymakam	He served only a few months as a temporary governor.
12	Semiz Ali Pasha	No picture available	1549	1553	Beylerbey	He was appointed to another position in Constantinople.
13	Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1553	1556	Beylerbey	His actions led to his removal from power.
14	Iskender Pasha	No picture available	1556	1559	Beylerbey	He had many public works built between Bab Zuweila and Bab al-Khalq.
15	Sofu Hadım Ali Pasha	No picture available	1559	1560	Beylerbey	Also known as Sufi Ali Pasha or Hadım Ali Pasha; he died in office.
16	Kara Şahin Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1560	1563	Beylerbey	He was the founder of the Ridwan dynasty and a former governor of Gaza.
17	Müezzinzade Ali Pasha		1563	1566	Beylerbey	Also known as Sufi or Sofu Ali Pasha.
18	Mahmud Pasha	No picture available	1566	1567	Beylerbey	He built the Mosque of Mahmud Pasha and his time in office ended suddenly.
19	Koca Sinan Pasha (1st)		1567	1569	Beylerbey
20	Çerkes Iskender Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1569	1571	Beylerbey	Known locally as al-Faqih, meaning "the jurist."
21	Koca Sinan Pasha (2nd)		1571	1573	Beylerbey
22	Hüseyin Pasha Boljanić	No picture available	1573	1574	Beylerbey	He was known for being mild, but there were more thieves during his short term.
23	Hadim Mesih Pasha	No picture available	1574	1580	Beylerbey	He took strong action against thieves, which helped reduce robbery for a long time.
24	Hadım Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1580	1583	Beylerbey	He was later sent to Constantinople.
25	Damat Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1583	1585	Beylerbey
26	Defterdar Sinan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1585	1587	Beylerbey	He was removed from his position because he couldn't collect enough taxes.
27	Kara Üveys Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1587	1590	Beylerbey	Died while in office.
28	Hadım Hafız Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1590	1594	Beylerbey	He was appointed governor of Bursa.
29	Kurd Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1594	1596	Beylerbey
30	Emir Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1596	1598	Beylerbey	Known as al-Sharif and seyyid, he often visited the Al-Hussein Mosque.
31	Hızır Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1598	1601	Beylerbey
32	Yavuz Ali Pasha	No picture available	1601	1603	Beylerbey	He was appointed as Grand Vizier.
33	Maktul Hacı Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1604	1604	Beylerbey	His time as governor ended suddenly due to unrest among soldiers.
34	Hadım Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1604	1605	Beylerbey	He tried to calm the unrest, but it didn't work.
35	Yemenli Hasan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1605	1607	Beylerbey	He was previously the beylerbey of Yemen Eyalet (1580–1604).
36	Öküz Mehmed Pasha		1607	1611	Beylerbey	Known as "kul kıran" (slavebreaker) for putting down a soldier uprising.
37	Sofu Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1611	1615	Beylerbey	Not to be confused with Grand Vizier Sofu Mehmed Pasha.
38	Nişancı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1615	1618	Beylerbey	Head of Janissaries (1615); not the same as Grand Vizier Nişancı Ahmed Pasha.
39	Lefkeli Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1618	1618	Beylerbey	He left most of the governing to his family, which led to problems.
40	Cafer Pasha	No picture available	1618	1619	Beylerbey	He was educated in various subjects and was formerly governor of Yemen.
41	Hamidi Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1619	1620	Beylerbey	Also known as Ispartalı Mustafa Pasha, he was removed for policies that affected merchants.
42	Mere Hüseyin Pasha	No picture available	1620	1622	Beylerbey	He was removed after the flooding of the Nile caused a drought.
43	Biber Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1622	1622	Beylerbey	He was removed after 75 days; also known as Pır or Babür; former wali of Budin.
44	Silahdar Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1622	1623	Beylerbey	A drought led to his removal, and his successor had concerns about his financial management.
45	Kara Mustafa Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1623	1623	Beylerbey	Not the same as Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha.
46	Çeşteci Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1623	1623	Beylerbey	Soldiers helped Kara Mustafa Pasha get his job back.
47	Kara Mustafa Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1624	1626	Beylerbey	Soldiers, unhappy with how often governors changed, helped him return to power.
48	Bayram Pasha	No picture available	1626	1628	Beylerbey	He invested a lot in local businesses.
49	Tabanıyassı Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1628	1630	Beylerbey	He appeared in public only 6 times, but people liked him.
50	Koca Musa Pasha	No picture available	1630	1631	Beylerbey	The army made him leave his job because of his harsh actions.
51	Halil Pasha	No picture available	1631	1633	Beylerbey	He was known for his "gentle, fair, and successful administration."
52	Bakırcı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1633	1635	Beylerbey	He was removed from power because of his harshness or his money policies.
53	Gazi Hüseyin Pasha	No picture available	1635	1637	Beylerbey	He was strict, but he kept the army under control.
54	Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1637	1640	Beylerbey	He took control of wealth from some important and rich people.
55	Nakkaş Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1640	1642	Beylerbey	His officials had a lot of power and took advantage of the land.
56	Maksud Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1642	1644	Beylerbey	He was previously the wali of Diyarbekir; the army removed him from power, and the sultan made a decision about his future.
57	Eyüb Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1644	1646	Beylerbey	He helped restore order, and after his term, he gave up all his possessions to become a dervish.
58	Haydarzade Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1646	1647	Beylerbey	His rule was reportedly "only a series of confusions and revolutions."
59	Mostarlı Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1648	1648	Beylerbey	He didn't pay much attention to his duties and was soon removed, but there were no uprisings.
60	Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1648	1651	Beylerbey	His rule was "agitated by great disturbances," but he managed to raise more funds than expected, as he was known for his economic skill.
61	Hadım Abdurrahman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1651	1652	Beylerbey	After his removal, his successor had him held for not paying debts.
62	Haseki Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1652	1656	Beylerbey	Known locally as Abu'l-Nur, "father of light," for helping to restore buildings.
63	Halıcı Damadı Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1656	1657	Beylerbey
64	Şehsuvarzade Gazi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1657	1660	Beylerbey	Known locally as Gazi for stopping a rebellion; he was later held.
65	Gürcü Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1660	1661	Beylerbey	Some soldiers tried to replace him with the previous governor, but they didn't succeed.
66	Melek Ibrahim Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1661	1664	Beylerbey	He made the governor's office stronger over the local leaders; also known as Şeytan Ibrahim Pasha.
67	Silahdar Ömer Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1664	1667	Beylerbey	He was also the wali of Baghdad (1677–81, 1684–86), Diyarbekir (1688), and Erzurum.
68	Şişman Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1667	1668	Beylerbey	His nickname means "fat"; also called Sofu Ibrahim Pasha; he died in office in November 1668.
69	Karakaş Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1668	1669	Beylerbey	He started his term in October 1668 or April 1669.
70	Bayburtlu Kara Ibrahim Pasha		1669	1673	Beylerbey
71	Canpuladzade Hüseyin Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1673	1675	Beylerbey
72	Cebeci Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1675	1676	Beylerbey	The army held him due to his harshness during tax collection.
73	Abdi Pasha the Albanian		1676	1680	Beylerbey
74	Osman Pasha the Bosnian	No picture available	1680	1683	Beylerbey
75	Hamza Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1683	1687	Beylerbey
76	Mollacık Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1687	1687	Beylerbey	Also called by the nickname Kethüda/Ketkhoda, but mostly just Hasan Pasha.
77	Damat Hasan Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1687	1689	Beylerbey
78	Sarhoş Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1689	1691	Beylerbey	Died in office on March 13, 1691.
79	Hazinedar Moralı Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1691	1695	Beylerbey	Also known as Moralı Hazinedar Ali Pasha (nicknames switched).
80	Çelebi Ismail Pasha	No picture available	1695	1697	Beylerbey	He was removed by the local soldiers.
–	Kesici Hasan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1697	1698	Kaymakam	He was a temporary governor, put in place by soldiers; he served for 5 to 8 months.
81	Firari Hüseyin Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1698	1699	Beylerbey	Also known by the nicknames Boşnak (Bosniak), Sarı, Dizveren, and Muradi.
82	Kara Mehmed Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1699	1704	Beylerbey
83	Baltacı Süleyman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1704	1704	Beylerbey	He never took office.
84	Rami Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1704	1706	Beylerbey
85	Dellak Ali Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1706	1707	Beylerbey
86	Damat Hasan Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1707	1709	Beylerbey
87	Moralı Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1709	1710	Beylerbey	He was held and sent away by the sultan after being removed.
88	Köse Halil Pasha	No picture available	1710	1711	Beylerbey	He was removed by local leaders.
89	Veli Mehmed Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1711	1712	Beylerbey	There was an uprising started by a Turkish religious leader, but it failed.
90	Kara Mehmed Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1712	1712	Beylerbey	He held the office for a very short time.
91	Veli Mehmed Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1712	1714	Beylerbey
92	Abdi Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1714	1716	Beylerbey	He ended the remaining parts of the uprising that began in 1711.
93	Dellak Ali Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1716	1720	Beylerbey	His rule was peaceful, but the sultan ordered his removal.
94	Recep Pasha	No picture available	1720	1721	Beylerbey	He was removed after failing to carry out the sultan's orders.
95	Nişancı Mehmed Pasha [tr] (1st)	No picture available	1721	1725	Beylerbey	He was removed by the forces of Çerkes Mehmed Bey after upsetting him.
96	Moralı Ali Pasha	No picture available	1725	1726	Beylerbey
97	Nişancı Mehmed Pasha [tr] (2nd)	No picture available	1726	1727	Beylerbey
98	Ebubekir Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1727	1729	Beylerbey
99	Abdi Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1729	1729	Beylerbey
100	Köprülü Abdullah Pasha	No picture available	1729	1731	Beylerbey
101	Silahdar Damat Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1731	1733	Beylerbey
102	Muhassıl Osman Pasha	No picture available	1733	1735	Beylerbey	There was a man claiming to be a prophet, and widespread fears about the end of the world.
103	Ebubekir Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1735	1739	Beylerbey	He was removed by local troops.
104	Sulayman Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1739	1740	Beylerbey	He was removed by local troops.
105	Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1st)		1740	1741	Beylerbey	His rule was peaceful and free of uprisings.
106	Hatibzade Yahya Pasha	No picture available	1741	1743	Beylerbey	He was the son-in-law of the previous governor, Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha.
107	Yedekçi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1743	1744	Beylerbey	Troops protested, asking for pay and food from the storage.
108	Koca Mehmed Ragıp Pasha	No picture available	1744	1748	Beylerbey	He was a "profound scholar"; local troops made him step down.
109	Yeğen Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1748	1748	Beylerbey	He was the nephew of Yedekçi Mehmed Pasha; he was only appointed for a week and never took office.
110	Nişancı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1748	1751	Beylerbey	He was interested in science, but he found that many Egyptians were not very educated.
111	Seyyid Abdullah Pasha	No picture available	1751	1753	Beylerbey
112	Divitdar Mehmed Emin Pasha	No picture available	1753	1753	Beylerbey	He died very soon after starting his term.
113	Baltacızade Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1752	1756	Beylerbey
114	Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (2nd)		1756	1757	Beylerbey	His second term was also mostly peaceful.
115	Sa'deddin Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1757	1757	Beylerbey	He was the nephew of Sulayman Pasha al-Azm.
116	Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha		1757	1758	Beylerbey
117	Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1758	1761	Beylerbey
118	Kamil Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1761	1761	Beylerbey	He was removed in August 1761 by the local leaders.
119	Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1761	1762	Beylerbey	He was put back in office by the local leaders.
120	Ebubekir Rasim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1762	1762	Beylerbey	He died two months into his term and was buried in the City of the Dead in Cairo.
121	Ahıskalı Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1762	1764	Beylerbey
122	Hacı Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1764	1764	Beylerbey	He died soon after taking office in September 1764.
123	Macar Hacı Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1764	1765	Beylerbey	He was removed soon after taking office.
124	Silahdar Mahir Hamza Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1765	1767	Beylerbey	He was removed by the local leaders.
125	Çelebi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1767	1767	Beylerbey
126	Rakım Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1767	1768	Beylerbey	He was removed by Ali Bey Al-Kabir after making a move against him.
–	Ali Bey Al-Kabir		1768	1769	Kaymakam	He became temporary governor after forcing out the last governor.
127	Köprülü Hafız Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1769	1769	Beylerbey	He died shortly after taking office.
128	Kelleci Osman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1769	1771	Beylerbey	After him, a kaymakam (temporary governor) probably ruled for a year.
129	Vekil Osman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1772	1773	Beylerbey	He died shortly after taking office.
130	Kara Halil Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1773	1774	Beylerbey	He had little power; the real power was held by Mamluk Muhammad Bey Abu'l-Dhahab.
131	Hacı Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1774	1775	Beylerbey
132	Izzet Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1775	1778	Beylerbey	He was removed by local Mamluk leaders on July 15, 1778.
133	Raif Ismail Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1779	1779	Beylerbey	He was replaced by the sultan in late September 1779 with Ibrahim Pasha.
134	Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1779	1779	Beylerbey	He died in office in November 1779 (one month after he arrived).
135	Raif Ismail Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1779	1780	Beylerbey	He was reappointed in November 1779, but removed by local Mamluk leaders in July 1780.
–	Ibrahim Bey (1st)		1780	1781	Kaymakam	The sultan gave the office back to Raif Ismail Pasha, but Ibrahim Bey did not agree.
136	Melek Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1781	1782	Beylerbey	His rule was peaceful and he was well-liked by the leaders.
137	Name unknown	No picture available	1782	1783	Beylerbey	His identity is unknown, perhaps partially named "Sharif/Şerif Pasha."
138	Silahdar Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1783	1784	Beylerbey	He was removed by the Mamluk leader Murad Bey on October 30, 1784.
–	Murad Bey		1784	1785	Kaymakam	He removed his predecessor, but he was already the real ruler of Egypt.
–	Ibrahim Bey (2nd)		1784	1785	Kaymakam	The incoming governor made him temporary governor on February 20, 1785.
139	Yeğen Seyyid Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1785	1786	Beylerbey	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha sent away the Mamluk leaders (Murad and Ibrahim).
–	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha		1786	1787	Admiral	He was the real ruler when Keki Abdi Pasha did not take the office until the leaders were defeated.
140	Keki Abdi Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1787	1788	Beylerbey	Appointed on October 24, 1786, but left governing to Hasan Pasha for a while.
141	Ismail Pasha the Tripolitanian (1st)	No picture available	1788	1789	Beylerbey	The sultan put Keki Abdi Pasha back in office at his request on January 3, 1789.
142	Keki Abdi Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1789	1789	Beylerbey	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, Ismail Pasha's teacher, asked the sultan to put him back in office.
143	Ismail Pasha the Tripolitanian (2nd)	No picture available	1789	1791	Beylerbey	He was removed and appointed governor of Morea Eyalet.
144	Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmet Pasha	No picture available	1791	1794	Beylerbey	Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey, who were sent away in 1786, returned to real power.
145	Kayserili Hacı Salih Pasha	No picture available	1794	1796	Beylerbey	Mamluk leaders Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey continued to hold real power.
The French occupied Egypt in 1798, with Napoleon Bonaparte (1798–99), Jean Baptiste Kléber (1799–1800), and Jacques-François Menou (1800–01) holding real governing power.
146	Lokmacı Hacı Ebubekir Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1796	1798	Beylerbey	French troops led by Napoleon landed at Alexandria and later reached Cairo.
147	Abdullah Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1798	1799	Beylerbey	Napoleon had him confirmed as governor to show that the Ottomans agreed to his rule.
147	Nasuh Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1800	1801	Beylerbey	The French left Cairo (and eventually Egypt altogether).
The French occupation ended in 1801, after a combined attack by British and Ottoman forces.
148	Ebu Merak Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1801	1801	Beylerbey	He was removed on September 21, 1801, and left for his estate on January 8, 1802.
149	Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (1st)		1802	1803	Beylerbey	He arrived on January 22, 1802; he was told to remove or hold Mamluk leaders.
–	Tahir Pasha	No picture available	1803	1803	Kaymakam	He took power; he was the head of Albanian troops; his time in office ended suddenly by soldiers in 26 days.
Albanian troops led by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, originally sent in 1801 by the Ottoman sultan to fight the French, gained real control of Egypt from the Ottomans.
150	Müftizade Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1803	1803	Governor	He took power in June against the Albanians, even though they had real control.
–	Ibrahim Bey (3rd; concurrently)		1803	1804	Kaymakam	He was made governor by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in June, who ruled through him.
151	Trabluslu Ali Pasha (concurrently)		1803	1804	Beylerbey	He was sent by the Ottomans in July to take back Egypt from the Albanians, but he was removed.
152	Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (2nd)		1804	1804	Beylerbey	He was a puppet governor for 2 days under Muhammad Ali of Egypt.
153	Hurshid Ahmed Pasha		1804	1805	Beylerbey	Muhammad Ali of Egypt allowed him to govern, but then made him step down in favor of himself.
154	Muhammad Ali of Egypt		1805	Muhammad Ali, leader of the Albanians, was officially appointed governor in 1805, starting the Muhammad Ali dynasty; see List of monarchs of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty for governors after 1805.